**Chapter 7: Anna's Arrival**

As the carriage rolled up to the palace, Anna stepped out, her eyes scanning the imposing structure before her. The cold stone façade seemed to loom over her, casting a shadow over her thoughts. She had received Lars' letter, and despite her reservations, she had agreed to come to the Southern Isles to help her brother, Hans. Lars greeted her warmly, his expression a mixture of relief and concern. "Anna, thank you for coming," he said, taking her hand in his. "I know it's been a while, but I need your help. Hans is... he's not well." Anna's gaze narrowed, her mind racing with memories of her past with Hans. She had thought she was done with him, but something about Lars' words struck a chord. She nodded, and Lars led her into the palace. The interior was just as imposing as the exterior, with high ceilings and ornate furnishings that seemed to gleam in the dim light. Anna's eyes adjusted slowly, and she saw the palace staff moving quietly, their faces expressionless. Lars led her to a secluded wing of the palace, where Hans was being kept. As they walked, Anna noticed the atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive. The air was thick with tension, and she could sense the weight of King Westergaard's rule bearing down on the palace staff. They stopped in front of a door, and Lars hesitated before opening it. "He's not... he's not the same person you knew," he warned Anna. She steeled herself and stepped inside. The room was small, with a single window that let in a sliver of light. Hans lay on a bed, restrained by thick leather straps. His eyes were sunken, and his skin was pale and clammy. Anna's heart ached as she took in the sight of her brother. She had expected him to be struggling, but not like this. She approached him cautiously, not wanting to startle him. "Hans?" she said softly, trying to gauge his reaction. Hans' eyes flickered, and he looked up at her. For a moment, Anna saw a glimmer of recognition, but it was quickly extinguished. He stared at her, his expression vacant. Anna felt a pang of sadness and regret. She had thought she was over Hans, but seeing him like this brought back a flood of memories. She reached out and took his hand, trying to comfort him. "I'm here, Hans," she said. "I'm going to help you." As she looked at him, Anna knew that she had made the right decision in coming to the Southern Isles. She would do everything in her power to help Hans, to bring him back from the brink of madness. But as she glanced around the room, she sensed that there was more to this story than met the eye. The palace seemed to be holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. And Anna knew that she was just beginning to scratch the surface of the darkness that lurked within these stone walls. The next morning, Anna decided to seek out King Westergaard, to get a better understanding of the situation. She made her way to the throne room, where she found the king sitting on his throne, his expression cold and unforgiving. "So, you're here to help your brother," he said, his voice dripping with disdain. "I suppose it's about time someone did something about him." Anna felt a surge of anger, but she kept her cool. "I'm here to help him, Your Majesty," she said. "I want to understand what's going on and how I can help him recover." The king snorted. "Recover? He's a prince, Anna. He's supposed to be strong. But Hans... he's a disappointment. I'm not sure even you can fix him." Anna's eyes narrowed, but she refused to rise to the king's bait. She would have to tread carefully if she was going to help Hans. She left the throne room, her mind racing with thoughts of how she could help her brother. Later that day, Anna met with Elsa, the Queen of Arendelle, who had come to visit. Elsa gave Anna a letter and offered her support. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask," she said. "We'll do everything we can to help Hans." Anna smiled, feeling a sense of gratitude towards Elsa. She knew that she had a long road ahead of her, but with Elsa's support, she felt more confident than ever that she could help Hans recover. As she walked back to her room, Anna ran into Kristoff, who was visiting the palace. "Hey, Anna," he said, his eyes scanning her face. "How's it going?" Anna sighed. "It's tough, Kristoff. Hans is... he's not well. But I'm going to help him, no matter what it takes." Kristoff nodded, his expression sympathetic. "I'll do everything I can to help, Anna. You know that." Anna smiled, feeling a sense of gratitude towards Kristoff. She knew that she had a long road ahead of her, but with Kristoff's support, she felt more confident than ever that she could help Hans recover. As the day drew to a close, Anna sat down with Olaf, who was visiting the palace with Elsa. "Hi, Anna!" Olaf exclaimed, his eyes shining with excitement. "I'm so happy to meet you!" Anna smiled, feeling a sense of joy that she hadn't felt in a long time. "Hi, Olaf," she said. "It's nice to meet you too." Olaf's innocence and kindness helped to brighten Anna's day, and she felt a sense of hope that she hadn't felt in a long time. She knew that she had a long road ahead of her, but with Olaf's support, she felt more confident than ever that she could help Hans recover. As the night drew to a close, Anna reflected on her day. She had met with King Westergaard, Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf, and she had a better understanding of the situation. She knew that she had a long road ahead of her, but she was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. She was determined to help Hans recover, no matter what it took.